In conventional appliances, such as washing machines, the washing action is achieved by oscillation of an agitator disposed within a washing machine basket that contains the clothing items to be washed and fluid for washing the clothes. After each wash and rinse agitation step in the cycle, the liquid is extracted by a high speed rotation of the basket. Current washing machine designs utilize a transmission having shift structure which can be operated to selectively condition the drive element to supply oscillatory motion to the agitator, or to supply high-speed or low-speed rotational motion to the wash basket.
Additionally, for performance or safety reasons, it is often desirable to monitor the actual speed of rotation of the wash basket. For example, during the wash or rinse cycles, it may be important to know whether the wash basket is creeping or spinning. In some cases, whether in the wash or rinse cycle, or in the spin cycle, when the wash basket is rotating or spinning above a certain speed, it may be desirable to lock the lid closed to prevent someone from sticking their hands into the area of the wash basket. The speed may also be monitored to determine that the brake has failed, such as where the motor has been deenergized for some time, but the speed sensor continues to indicate that the wash basket is rotating too fast.